You might be a Yooper if...

Don Baer

Moderator
Staff member
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Your wife's Lady Remington is a 30-06...
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Your snowmobile costs more than your kid's college education...

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Your wife's night gown says Fred Bear Archery...

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A trip to the islands means Mackinac and Bois Blanc...

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You're on a first name basis with the clerk at the Michigan State Unemployment Office...

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You install your snow tires in early September...

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You think working at McDonalds' means making the big bucks...

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Your best clothes are reversible; Blaze Orange to Camouflage...

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Going south for the winter means going to Escanaba...

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You think that Iron Mountain is a prime example of a big city in urban decay...

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You think the expression "to open a can of worms" means " to go fishing"...

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You think that a Big Mac and a shake refers to the Bridge on a windy day...

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People in Wisconsin act superior to you...

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Your kid "aced" the 3rd grade...on his 9th try...

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A new car means a 1972 AMC Gremlin...

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Being a "Red Wing fan" means you like their new line of hiking boots...

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You watched the "Ricki Lake Show" because you thought it was a show about fishing...

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You answer the question "How many UP'ers does it take to change a light bulb?" with "None, we don't have electricity"...

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You consider Velcro to be high tech...

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You think that "The Straits of Mackinac" refers to the heterosexual population on the island...

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You think that the Mackinac ferry refers to, well, you know...

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You view working the drive-through window as an important career advancement...
 
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Well Don I know this is meant as a joke, and you know i aint American or a Yooper. But i do know a Yooper or two.

I also know there are a lot of people on this forum that get offended for some things i often think as not offensive.

Personally i found this joke OFFENSIVE.

I am probably the exception here but this is a humorous degrading generalisation of a group of people in my mind.

As was once pointed out to me by some more intelligent people than i here. Wordsmiths have their ways of camo of what they mean. I see this as such script.

Just because life in Yooper land is tough and a good job is McDonalds, dont mean we need to be taking the mickey out of them people.

Hey they protect your northern border.

If i wrote something like this about certain groups of people back where i come from it would be considered offensive by many for various reasons. One being they are poor.

I know many will say lighten up Rob but i dont find this funny when we laugh at not celebrities but a group of ordinary folk who are really having it tough right now.

Example being on a first name basis with the clerk at the unemployment office is something that none of us should be finding funny simply because of the implications of that situation to the person involved. If it were say Brad Pitt a celebrity hey i would not mind at all. But the average person in Yooper land could be one of us.
 
Rob,
Its a joke. Its humorous.
One thing most Americans have is the ability to poke fun at one another and laugh at themselves.
This as easily could of been about Southerners, Northerners, Rednecks, Democrats or Republicans.
We chuckle at it because all can identify with it in some way.
You really do need to lighten up a bit.
 
Rob,
I am sorry you found it offensive. I know we have yoopers on the forum as a matter of fact thats how it all came about. I googled yooper so that I would have a better understanding as to what a yooper was. I found it and several others like it on websites that were from folks in the U.P.. Once again, didn't mean to offend.
 
It's just like all the Vermont "Woodchuck" jokes - in fact, you could replace the word "Yooper" with "Woodchuck" & it'd work perfectly well for Vermonters. Or "Redneck" for them's as live in "trellers". :) :) :)

None of it's personal slams, none of it's intended to be degrading. I doubt seriously that anyone (possibly excepting those with extremely pliable minds) has had their opinion of Yoopers swayed by such a list of archetypes. In fact, I think archetype lists poke as much fun at themselves as at the targets of those lists.
 
YA, I got one ting ta say,

KEEP DA TROLLS BENEET DA BRIDGE.

We refer to da yooper land as GODS COUNTRY.

Most of the relative up in God's country can work most common folks under the table. :D

No offense taken, I've herd them all before and a few more.
 
...No offense taken, I've herd them all before and a few more.

Yoopers probably come up with the best ones, after all. The best "blind guy" jokes I ever heard were from a blind friend. ;)

Rob, I respectfully submit that perhaps as the result of your life and experiences in South Africa and elsewhere in the world, you are more sensitive than many of us to things that tend to separate one group of people from the others, even those meant in jest. :) I think your sentiments regarding the poor ring true with many of us, but I suspect that Americans are more comfortable laughing in the face of hardship than many folks from other countries.
 
Yeah Vaughn i guess you right. I think its just the hard time i see everyone having upsets me. I dont think its great when a Mc Donalds job is taken up through lack of other work and out of extreme need.

But i have to agree you guys sure can laugh at each other more than most other nations.:D
 
O.K. Heres one ya missed. Question; How many yoopers does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: 2 One to holt onta da lightbub, an ta udder one ta drink enough beers ta make da room spin. :D

It's funny that the term 'hillbilly" originated in the U.P.

One the other hand, I have run in to a lot more of them folks down yonder in the South.

I am actually quite sensitive to racial prejudice and bigotry I have a sister who is black and a very dear brother-in-law (another sisters husband) who is also black. They have experienced great injustice and trials just because of the color of their skin.
I do admit to certain biases. When you grow up in a failed or diseased culture it causes one to become cautious when dealing with those from that area. There are national differences between people of the same skin color probably owning to the struggles of the respective nations. All the same. It is a challenge to take each person as they are, and disregard their backgrounds or birth places.
My heart aches for the people of Haiti and if I could figure out how to pay for a bigger home I would welcome several kids, or even a family into my home. I know there would be many cultural and personal differences to overcome, but I figure most people would jump at the chance with great gratitude to live in this fine country. They are after all, created in the image and likeness of God and they are truly my brothers and sisters in Christ. I have always thought that I could buy stocks and bonds and have banking investments, or maybe just invest in someones life and help them better themselves. I think the latter pays far greater returns, and leads to far greater happiness.

I'll get off the soapbox now.
 
I think I still got my Yooper papers somewhere.....:rofl:

I grew up in the U.P. (Delta County) from 1974 to 1996, excepting my college stint majoring in Agriculture at Michigan State University during those years.

I have some wonderful friends who are from up there, and although I don't live there anymore, I think it is like being in the Marine Corp.....once a Marine, always a Marine......once a Yooper always a Yooper.

I don't mind the jokes about Yoopers, as I am sure they don't either.....but I can tell you one thing about them....you will not find anyone as hard working, dedicated, loyal and honest as the good folks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

......and believe me they got plenty of jokes about you flatlanders, sugar beaters, trolls etc.
 
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